


Defenders of Avalon

by Britt30, optimistic-violinist (Britt30)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen, Major canon divergence, and btw there is no series continuity, but he doesn't stay dead!!, but i'll tag it anyway, camelot revolts against uther, everyone i want to be a knight is a knight already, kilgharrah's been set free, listen i just want them all to be friends and fight crime together, ok so it's major character death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:28:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23601574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Britt30/pseuds/Britt30, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Britt30/pseuds/optimistic-violinist
Summary: When Morgana reveals she has magic, Merlin takes a leap of faith and reveals his to her. But between magic lessons and their two best friends, they can't keep it a secret forever. Once the cat's out of the bag, the four friends decide to combine their talents to defend those that Uther won't. And maybe there's some dragon riding involved, idk.
Relationships: Gwen & Merlin & Morgana & Arthur Pendragon, Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Morgana (Merlin)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 117





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! I'm reuploading this from FF.net. It's still a work in progress, but I'll try and upload the chapters I already have fairly quickly. Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Merlin looked up in surprise as Morgana burst into the room. She was still in her night dress and was paler than normal. Merlin noticed she was shaking. 

"Is Gaius here?"

"Um, no, sorry."

"I need to speak to him. Where is he?"

"He's talking to the king." Morgana's face fell and she looked around worriedly.

"What's wrong?" Merlin dared to ask.

She looked at the floor.

"You can trust me Morgana, you know you can." Her eyes met his and he could she had been crying.

"I'm scared," she whimpered. "Nothing makes sense anymore." Taking a risk, Merlin extended his arms and Morgana took the invitation, burying herself in his arms.

"It's magic, Merlin," she whispered quietly. 

"Magic?" Merlin asked slightly breathless.

"Yes. I-I have it. You know I wouldn't make this up." Merlin's mind raced. He wanted to tell her, help her so badly, but Gaius' warning kept running through his mind. 

But then Morgana's breath hitched and his resolve hardened. He knew what she was dealing with and there was no way he was going to let her go through that alone.

"I understand." 

“How can you possible know what I’m going through?” she asked, voice full of derision and doubt and sorrow.

“Because I have magic too.” Morgana pulled away from him and looked at him with pure shock, that gradually turned into a smile.

“Really?” Merlin nodded in response, a smile of his own beginning to form. For as scared as she had been before, Morgana looked positively gleeful now.

“I’m not alone,” she whispered. “Tell me about it!” she said. “When did you discover it? How do you control it? Who else knows?” Merlin couldn’t help but laugh and gestured to the table. They sat down and he began to tell her.

“I was born with it.”

“But that’s-”

“Very rare. Yes. Honestly, I’d have to guess the same about you, it just manifested itself later. I use it more than I probably should, but it’s quite useful for protecting Arthur. Stupid prat always getting into danger… And as for who knows, you, my mother, my friend Will, and Gaius.”

“So Arthur doesn’t know?” she asked.

“If he did, would I still be alive?” Merlin said this as a worm of doubt entered his mind; maybe Arthur would accept him someday. Morgana just nodded.

“Of course.” She looked up at him with pleading eyes. “Can you control it?”

“Mostly, yes. I’m still learning though.”

“Could you teach me?” she asked hopefully. Merlin smiled, absolutely thrilled at the prospect. 

“I’d love to.”

:::::::::::::

They set up a schedule for practices. Every evening while Gaius was making his rounds, she and Merlin would practice in the physician's workshop. They decided it was for the best not to tell anyone about these meetings, lest rumors start to flourish and worried friends come to call.

However, evening sessions seemed shorter as the spells became harder.

"And it's been a mild year for illness, so Gaius isn't nearly as busy either," Morgana said, absentmindedly levitating a spoon.

"What if we met at night?" Merlin suggested. Morgana quirked an eyebrow and smirked.

"At night?" Merlin blushed and she laughed. "I'm teasing. That might work. But where and when?"

"We'd have to cut down on how many days, but we'd be able to have longer sessions. And of course there's personal practice."

"Right. How about Saturday nights for a couple of hours?"

"We could probably slip another one in there somewhere. Wednesdays?"

"It's a plan." Suddenly the door opened and Gaius entered the room. The spoon clattered to the table and he looked at his two charges suspiciously.

"What were you two doing?" he asked. Morgana began to speak before Merlin could open his mouth.

"Merlin was giving me some headache medication and we got talking. I should be going. Good night Gaius. Merlin." The princess rose gracefully and left, giving Gaius the opportunity to turn the eyebrow of doom on Merlin.

"This isn't the first time you two have been here when I've gotten back. I don't know what you're up to, and I don't want to know, but for heaven's sake, be careful!"

That Wednesday night, Morgana snuck out of her chambers and met Merlin in front of Gaius' workshop.  
"Ready?" he asked.

"I assume you have a place in mind?" Morgana asked him. He grinned broadly, white teeth shining in the dark. He gestured down the hallway.

"After you m'lady."

They wound their way through the castle, avoiding guards and ducking into alcoves when the need arose. Merlin led them up staircases and around corners before ascending one final spiral staircase. At the top was a door which he unlocked with a whispered word. He held the door open for Morgana. She entered and sized up the room. 

It was a fairly large, circular room. There was a shuttered window facing the north and a table, a bookshelf, and some boxes stacked up against the opposite wall.  
“What do you think?” Merlin asked.

“A bit dusty, but I think it’ll do nicely.”

“No one ever comes up here, especially not at this time of night. And I figure we can put a spell on the door so no one can come in without us letting them.”

“Brilliant. What should we work on tonight?” the young witch asked excitedly, rubbing her hands together. 

“I was thinking endurance,” Merlin said. He quickly explained the exercise. Because of these lessons, they were both learning new things about themselves, their magic, and each other. It quickly became apparent that Morgana’s magic was the more chaotic one and had to be carefully and willfully controlled. Merlin’s on the other hand was more gentle, but also more powerful.

“Ready?” Morgana asked him. He nodded. As Morgana shoved a wave of force at him he lifted his hands to create a shield and held them there. Morgana continued to assault him with every spell she knew and even just raw magic. Nothing she did could break Merlin’s shield and barely even dimmed it. Just as Merlin’s arms were beginning to shake, she finally collapsed against the wall and groaned.

“How did you do that?” she breathed tiredly. Merlin dissipated the shield and sat down next to her. He was breathing a little heavier, but was obviously in a better condition than his friend.

“You lasted a long time yourself. That was powerful stuff.” She grinned beside him.

“All thanks to a great teacher.” These sessions had become the highlight of her life. It felt fantastic to embrace who she was, even if it wasn’t that often.

Merlin walked her back to her chambers and bid her farewell, already looking forward to the next session, and already dreading waking up tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're not as sneaky as they think...

Due to the room and time change, Morgana and Merlin weren’t in nearly as much danger of getting caught, but Gaius and Gwen (and occasionally Arthur) were getting suspicious as to why their charges were so tired. Gwen was the most confused. Morgana was often tired after a night like tonight, which made Gwen think she hadn’t slept well due to nightmares, and yet, her mistress was happier than ever. Something was up.

So one night, she decided to stay late and see if she could figure out what was going on. She said good bye to Morgana as usual and made to look as if she were walking home before making her way back. Gwen waited in the empty room next to Morgana’s until it was quite late, and she was beginning to think nothing would happen. But then she heard a door creak. Peeking out, she saw her mistress hurrying down the hall. Gwen followed her quietly and was surprised when she stopped outside Gaius’ door. She was even more shocked when a moment later, Merlin came out and greeted her. They turned and were coming towards her, so she hid until they passed and she began to follow them again.

Finally, they climbed one more set of stairs and entered the room at the top of the tower, Merlin looking around to make sure it was clear before closing the door.   
Oh no… Gwen thought. She saw a light from under the door. She crept closer and peered through the keyhole and was utterly flabbergasted by what she saw.   
No, no, that couldn’t be right. It just couldn’t. It was impossible that Merlin… and Morgana. Just no.

Suddenly, Merlin turned towards the door and his eyes flashed gold. The door opened and Gwen stumbled in shock. The items that Morgana had been levitating dropped to the ground.

“Gwen? What are you doing here?” Morgana asked. Her servant couldn’t speak for a moment and Merlin took a careful step closer, hands open in a placating attitude.

“Gwen. We can explain.”

“Like hell you better,” she finally mumbled. She turned to Morgana. “You always seemed so tired, I decided to stay after and see if I could figure out what was wrong. I just never expected… this.” Gwen placed her hand over her mouth and took a step back, considering running. 

“Gwen, please give us a chance to explain,” Morgana pleaded. Merlin stepped back from her and gestured for her to come in. But could she really make herself go in there? She had been raised her entire life to believe that magic was evil- all magic. Did that include her friends? What would they do if she came in?

Shut up Gwen, she thought. They’re your friends. So she was brave and entered the room. Merlin quietly closed the door behind her.

“So… you’re sorcerers?” Gwen asked. “You practice magic?” The two in question nodded.

“Born with it in fact,” Merlin said. Gwen looked at Morgana.

“I just recently discovered mine. Merlin has been teaching me what he can. The more I know how to use it, the less likely there will be an accident.”

"You do realize how dangerous this is, right? If anyone found out..."

"You found out," Merlin pointed out.

"Someone different, like Arthur or, heaven forbid, Uther." They all shuddered involuntarily.

"So, you aren't going to turn us in then?" Morgana asked quietly.

"Of course not! As long as you two promise not to get caught or do anything... evil." They both solemnly pledged.

"Good. I better get going. Dad said he stay up and wait for me to get home."

"Of course," said Morgana. Merlin opened the door for her again and whispered, 

"Thanks Gwen."

"You're welcome Merlin."

:::::::::::::::::

So Gwen knew now and Morgana clued her into their schedule so she wouldn’t worry. Gaius had his suspicions, but he never asked, for which Merlin was grateful.

No one seemed to be catching on and the two almost became… casual in their use of magic. Using it on a regular basis was wearing down Merlin’s long held fear of being discovered and Morgana wasn’t overly afraid to begin with. The only people they took extra caution around was Arthur and Uther (though Merlin was used to sneaking around Arthur). 

But even with that extra caution, someone was going to find out sooner or later…

Arthur walked down the hall with a spring in his step. He had weasled his way out of a boring meeting and was looking forward to spending a day in the woods. The only problem was that he couldn’t find Merlin. 

He passed Morgana’s door and then glanced back. The two had been spending a lot of time together recently, passing notes and secret smiles in the hallways. He’d warned his servant that it couldn’t lead to anything and that he would be better off letting his surrogate sister go, to which Merlin had simply nodded and said, “Yes, sire.”

That made him suspicious.

In any case, maybe she would know where he was. 

Arthur backtracked and rapped on the door lightly before pushing it open.  
“Morgana, have you seen-” 

Morgana stared back at him with equal shock. The candelabra she had been levitating dropped to the ground, along with the brush she had been racing through it’s branches. Arthur’s hand instinctively went to his sword and Morgana turned a shade paler.

“You’re a-”

“Arthur-”

“You-”

“Just let me-”

“Sorceress?” The word finally escaped his mouth and Morgana nodded mutely.

“Why?” the prince asked, sounding betrayed, a bit wary; his hand still hadn’t left his sword.

“I didn’t have a choice,” she replied. “Please, let me explain.”

“How can you explain that?” Arthur asked.

“Well you can start by closing the door.” When he hesitated, she sighed and said, “I’m not going to hurt you, honestly.” Cautiously, Arthur closed the door and stepped inside.

“Explain. Now. If you can,” he demanded. Everything about him told her he was on guard. She would have to handle this delicately.

“I didn’t have a choice to learn magic. I suppose I was born with it, but it only manifested itself recently. Do you remember the fire that happened in my room?” Arthur nodded stiffly. “That was me. It was an accident,” she added hastily. “I was terrified that something like that would happen again so I decided to learn to control it instead of risk another accident. I’m not evil,” she stated firmly. Arthur’s grip finally relaxed on his sword. 

“Why use it at all?” he asked. “If you ignored it, wouldn’t it just… go away?”

“I don’t think that’s how it works Arthur. And besides,” here was the delicate part, “I like using it. It’s fun. It’s part of me. It wouldn’t be fair to squelch it down and destroy it. Better to keep it hidden than not use it at all.” She folded her arms and waited for his response. Arthur looked at her as if seeing a completely different person, one who he wasn’t sure he could trust yet.

“Tell me more,” he asked.

“What? So you can incriminate me further?” she replied hotly.

“No. No. I want to understand.” She quirked an eyebrow at him and he tilted his head as if to say “really?”

“Morgana…”

“...If you really want to know,” she muttered at last. The two sat down and began to talk.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next up for a reveal: Merlin and Arthur!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!

Later, as Merlin was serving Arthur dinner, Arthur asked him a question.

“Merlin, what would you do if you found out someone you know has magic?” 

Merlin jolted in surprise in the middle of pouring the wine and nearly spilled on Arthur. Trying to keep his voice from shaking he asked, “Why do you ask?” Arthur hesitated.

“It doesn't matter. But what would you do? Like if it was someone you knew and trusted.” From Arthur’s tone, Merlin felt vaguely reassured that he wasn't talking about him.

“It would… depend sire. If they’re using it for evil then I might try and stop them, but if they just have it or are using it for good-” he shrugged. “I see nothing wrong with it.”

“But magic can't be used for good; it’s evil,” Arthur persisted. Merlin didn't look convinced and shuffled awkwardly under the weight of what he wanted to say. Arthur saw this and said,

“Merlin you can speak your mind here. I want to hear your honest opinion. Whatever you say will stay in this room.” Merlin looked earnestly into Arthur’s eyes and was mildly surprised at the sincerity he saw there. He took a deep breath.

“I don't believe magic is evil. I’ve seen it used for good too many times to believe that and I also believe that it doesn't corrupt the user. If anything corrupts them it's the fear of living in a kingdom where they could be executed for no other crime than using the gifts they were born with,” he said, somewhat bitterly.  
Arthur’s eyes were wide at Merlin’s words. That was...close to treason. And his tone indicated there was some personal experience there. He wondered what it was. But he wanted to hear the rest of what his friend had to say.

“Go on,” he said slowly. Merlin took another deep breath and relaxed against the wall.

“Magic is like a sword. The thing itself isn't good or evil; it’s just a tool. On one hand it can be used to protect and defend. On the other it can be used to murder and plunder. It all depends on the user,” he said earnestly, hoping that Arthur understood. “Or like fire. It can be used for warmth and light or destruction, but the thing itself isn't inherently good or bad.” Merlin held his breath as Arthur sat there thinking. Eventually he said,

“What you say makes sense, but… when have you seen it used for good?”

“My friend Will used it against those bandits, Balinor used it to stop the last dragon from killing everyone, Gaius has used it to save lives, and I could go on. It’s not as noticeable as evil users, but it’s there. The good people actually obey the law so the bad people are the only ones who get noticed,” he huffed angrily. Arthur wondered where this rage was coming from.

“You seem very passionate about this,” Arthur commented, curious. Merlin’s eyes widened slightly and he rambled out,

“Ah, well, like I said I know some people and you heard, and yeah, uh… Is there anything else you need?”

“No, you can go. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

:::::::::::::::::::::

Arthur was very pensive the next couple of days as he pondered on what Merlin had said. Surprisingly enough, he found himself agreeing with his manservant, quite strongly actually, but it was taking some time to reconcile the knowledge he had grown up with with this new way of thinking.   
He spent a lot of time with Morgana, talking it through with her.

“What I don’t understand,” he said one evening while they were in his room. “Is why Merlin is so passionate about it. He sounded… surprisingly bitter and angry about the current magic laws.”

“I suppose it makes sense,” Morgana mused. “He has more reason than most to feel that way.”

“What do you mean?” Arthur asked. Morgana simply smiled, glancing up from her book.

“That’s for him to tell you, not me. And he will tell you when he’s ready.”

::::::::::::::::::::::

Screw when Merlin was ready. Now Arthur had a new plague and it was curiosity. Finally, the prince managed to drag Merlin along with him on a ride through the forest alone so he could get it out of him. It was late afternoon and the sun shone brightly through the leaves, dappling everything with light and shadow. The woods were peaceful and everything seemed relaxed: the perfect time to delicately pry into his friend’s life.

“Merlin, do you remember the conversation we had about magic?”

“Yeah,” Merlin replied, giving him a sideways look. “What about it?”

“Well, I agree with you, first of all-”

“You do?!” He seemed genuinely shocked. Arthur nodded.

“I’m not stupid enough to disregard logic when it’s right in front of me. But what I can’t figure out is why you’re so passionate about it. Morgana said you have more reason than most to feel that way and I want to know what it is.”

“Of course she did,” he muttered. When he didn’t say anything else, opting instead to stare at his horse’s bridle, Arthur spoke up.

“And we’re not going back until you tell me what it is.” That got Merlin’s attention. His head snapped up and he turned to look at Arthur. Why did he look so scared?

“Merlin,” he said more gently. “I don't just want to know, I need to know. You’re my friend and if there’s something that’s bothering you, or important to you, I want to know. You know you can trust me, right? I promise, whatever it is, your secret’s safe with me.” Merlin nodded firmly, yet still looked rather pale; maybe the light was playing tricks on him.

“I know. I know that now. It’s just…kind of mildly terrifying.” Arthur raised an eyebrow. What on earth could make Merlin this nervous?

“Just spit it out. You’ll feel better afterwards.”

“Just… promise me you won’t freak out?”

“I promise.” Merlin took a deep breath.

“I have magic,” he admitted in a rush, then glanced at his friend. 

Arthur blinked once. Then twice. 

“You?” he asked, like he didn’t really believe him.

“Yes, me. I’ve had it since I was a child. My mum sent me here because she thought Gaius might be able to help me get it under control.”

“And has he?”

Merlin nodded. “He’s been a fantastic mentor. I’ve done things I never thought were possible with his help.”

“Like what?”

The air grew cooler as the sun began to set, but the two friends continued ambling through the woods having an honest to goodness conversation about Merlin’s use and study of magic. Arthur was genuinely curious about what Merlin and done and learned and Merlin was genuinely enthusiastic, if still a bit hesitant. Arthur wanted to understand more about magic and more about Merlin. He couldn’t even feel that hurt that Merlin had kept this from him; he probably would have done the same thing in his position. And Merlin was surprised by how easy it was to share his knowledge and passion with his friend. Surprisingly enough, Arthur was right; he did feel better. 

As they were drawing closer to Camelot, Merlin offhandedly said,

“So you’re not going to turn me in or anything, are you?”

“Of course not. Like I said, your secret’s safe with me. And Merlin?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“You’re still a moron though.”

“At least I’m not a clotpole!”

“Hey!”

The two boys galloped the rest of the way back to the stable, hearts lighter and bond stronger than it had been in a while.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And off they go!

Arthur sat up abruptly as Merlin nudged him. It was taking their combined willpower to stay awake through this particular hearing. It was the one day of the month that anyone could come before the king with a complaint and most of them were rather trivial.

"State your case," Uther said, smothering a yawn. Even he was having trouble staying awake.

"My lord," the man began. "I am from a very small town in the east of your kingdom. Recently, a group of bandits has taken control of the area and our small militia is not strong enough to get rid of them. I beg you, my lord, to send a small troop of men to our aid."

"Hm. What area did you say you were from?"

"Westershershire my lord."

"And how many are the bandits?"

"About thirty in number, my lord."

"Hm." Just then, the bell rang from the clock tower signaling the time. "I'm sure your local militia will be able to take care of it. Dismissed."

"But-" But Uther was already gone, on his way to his next (much more interesting) meeting.

"Father!" Arthur called after him, a bit surprised by his father's blatant dismissal. The prince quickly followed after him to see if he could change his mind; thirty bandits was no easy task for a small town and could easily grow from there.

Merlin glanced at the bewildered villager, went over, and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Arthur will see if he can get his father to reconsider. If you'll follow me, I can show you where lunch is."

::::

Later that day…

"So did you get your father to reconsider?" Merlin asked as he was polishing Arthur's armour while the prince worked on some paperwork.

"No," Arthur grumbled. "He said it wasn't a big enough threat for him to deal with and that he was very busy and all that bullcrap."

"Mm."

"Surely there must be something that can be done…" If light bulbs had been invented, one would have appeared over Merlin's head.

"Perhaps we could do something."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked suspiciously from his spot by the fireplace. That mischievous glint in Merlin's eye was going to get them into trouble, he knew it.

"Between your sword and my… talents, I bet we could easily help the villagers get rid of the bandits! No one would have to know."

"No one would have to know what?" asked Morgana, flouncing into the room unexpectedly.

"Nothing," they both said immediately, eyes wide. Morgana didn't even have to say anything; she just raised an eyebrow and waited for one of them to crack. The two boys were avoiding her gaze as best as they could, but when she sat down next to Merlin and gently touched his shoulder, he couldn't take it.

"There was a man at the hearing today who asked for some help getting rid of bandits-"

"And Father dismissed him," Arthur continued.

"So we figured that maybe we could go and help."

Morgana quickly looked between the two of them.

"Wait, does that mean that he knows about…?"

"Yeah, he does."

"Oh Merlin!" she cried and quickly hugged him.

The hug was brief but it was enough to render Merlin speechless (not an easy feat).

"Um, thanks," he managed to get out, with a chuckle. Arthur wasn't entirely sure what was going on there, but something was definitely going on there.

"In any case," Morgana continued, back on topic. "I think it's a great idea. When do we leave?"

"Excuse me, we?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, we," she replied. "If it will be easy with you two, it will be even easier with the three of us. Besides, I want to help."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Arthur?" It was Gwen. "Can I come in?" After a brief nod from Arthur, Merlin stood and went to open the door.

"Oh Merlin! I can't find Morgan- oh. Am I, interrupting something?"

"No," Arthur stated firmly. "In fact, she was just leaving."

Morgana quietly looked him in the eye as she stood and drew herself up, chin tilted slightly upward, posture and expression oozing determination.

"Yes, I was." She turned suddenly. "Come Gwen. We have much to talk about."

Once they left, Arthur turned to Merlin.

"You don't think they're gonna…."

"They wouldn't possibly…."

A pause.

"We should go talk to them."

"Agreed."

::::

"I can't believe this is happening," Arthur stated as the four of them rode away from the castle.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this," Merlin added.

"Me neither," Gwen said.

"You should be glad I walked in on you two," Morgana said. "If I hadn't, there's no way you two would've been able to come up with a good enough excuse to get to Westerchershire and back in time."

"Yes, we're very grateful for your hypothetical need to go see this very particular jeweler halfway across the county. We're just lucky Father didn't demand that any other knights come with us."

"You're welcome."

Arthur glared halfheartedly at his basically-sister and she stuck her tongue out at him before urging her horse ahead of him and alongside Merlin.

"So how exactly is this going to work?" Gwen asked Arthur.

"Go in. Bash some heads. Get out." Gwen glared at him.

"That's not exactly a plan."

"Then what do you think?"

"Well, first things first, we can't let word get back to your Father, so this will have to be some anonymous mission, especially if those two are gonna be using their... you know what."

"Mm... You make a good point."

"It's a good thing one of us thinks ahead," she said. "That's why I packed some bandannas to hide our faces." Arthur couldn't help but smile.

"Gwen, you are brilliant."

The maid blushed and ducked her head a bit, and then muttered, "Well one of us has to be." She nudged her horse forward. "Let's go tell the others."

Arthur paused as the four of them entered the woods and were officially on their way. It felt like the beginning of something. Something exciting.

The prince grinned and urged his horse forward to catch up with his friends.


	5. Chapter 5

They made good time, arriving at the town a couple hours after dusk. Merlin, vaguely trying to be the voice of reason, suggested they camp for the night, but with bandits on the loose, and only the three days Uther had given them, the others thought it would be better to press ahead to the township. Honestly, Merlin agreed with them; he was anxious to fight, but used his magic to look through the forest and keep an eye out for anyone that might jump them.

But, they arrived at the inn safely.

“I’ll go rent us a room if you guys want to stable the horses. We should try not to make too much of a fuss.”

“I agree,” Gwen said. “We don't want to tip anyone off about what we’re here to do. Take these though, to cover your face in case something happens. She handed a bandana to each of them, red to Arthur, green to Morgana, blue for Merlin, and yellow for her. The others nodded thankfully.

Arthur took their horses from them and the two went inside. It was a low ceilinged, comfy inn. A fireplace roared at one end and about half the tables were filled with people. They carefully made their way over to the bar where a rotund, balding, middle aged man was handing out drinks.

“What can I do for you?” he asked as they approached.

“We need to rent a room for the night please,” Merlin asked.

“Aye. Just one?”

“Two,” Gwen replied. “Our friends were stabling the horses.”

“Right.” 

Merlin paid the man and was given directions to their room just as he door swung open and slammed against the wall. The room grew uneasily quiet as a large, rough looking man and two cronies strutted into the bar. Merlin and Gwen moved back as the approached the barkeeper who looked terrified and enraged.

“What do you want.”

“What we've been wanting for the past three weeks Wrenlin, our money.”

“You’ve got your own money from looting out in the woods all day!” The bartender turned pale, realizing he had gone too far.

“I’m afraid that if we don't get our money,” the bandit threatened, “something very unfortunate is going to happen to this establishment. Understand?” Merlin didn’t miss the flash of gold in the man’s eyes. Wrenlin nodded nervously and quickly got a bag of money together, including the coins Merlin had just given him. The bandit hefted the bag and nodded in satisfaction. 

“We’ll be back next week!” he called and he and his cronies laughed as he left. People slowly went back to their conversations and soon the chatter was back up to its normal level. 

“Are you okay?” Gwen asked the innkeeper.

“What was that all about?” Merlin asked. The innkeeper sighed and ran a hand down his face.

“Our town and the surrounding region have been plagued with bandits for about a month now. One of the villagers went to ask the king for help, but our plight was dismissed as 'not important enough,'” he said bitterly. 

“Any idea where they’re hiding out?” Merlin asked. The innkeeper shook his head.

“Somewhere in the woods. I’m not sure the exact location. Best to be on your guard though.”

“Right. Here.” Merlin passed him some more coins. “To make up for what they took.” Wrenlin looked at the money in shock and then smiled gratefully at Merlin and Gwen. 

“Thank you. If you need anything, just ask.”

:::::::::::::::::::

That night, the four of them were up late discussing what they should do. They were gathered in Arthur and Merlin’s room, spread out on the beds and on the floor. 

“I suppose the first thing is to figure out where their camp is,” Arthur said. 

“We should get more accurate numbers too,” Merlin commented. 

“What’s our plan to get rid of them? Are we just scattering them?” Morgana asked. Arthur shook his head. 

“No, we don’t want them causing trouble in any of the neighboring townships.”

“At least one of them has magic, but I think if we can detain them, then the local militia could take care of them,” Merlin commented.

“You two will be in charge of taking care of him I presume?” Arthur asked. Morgana and Merlin nodded.

“Is anyone oddly excited for this?” Merlin asked after a moment. The others nodded. They couldn’t quite explain it, but this was the start of something bigger.

::::::::::::::::::

“What do you see?” Arthur asked. Gwen shushed him. It was midmorning and the four of them stood a couple meters into the woods, ready to start out on their bandit hunt. Merlin’s eyes were wide and golden as he searched through the underbrush for the bandits’ camp. 

“Found them,” he finally said. “About a kilometer to the north.”

“What can you see?” Arthur asked. “Do they have horses? Can you tell?” Merlin squinted, but had to shake his head.

“It’s too hard to tell at this distance. I think they have some horses, but,” he shrugged. “Are we taking our horses?” Arthur nodded. 

“We can ride for at least half a kilometer. Stay on the watch for lookouts though.”

The others nodded and saddled up. The ride passed quickly and quietly and before they knew it, they were on foot.

“See anything?”

“No,” Merlin answered shortly and continued to scan. Morgana caught up with him and gently grabbed his arm.

“Can you teach me how to do that?” she asked.

“The foresight?” She nodded. “I can try.” He started quietly trying to explain it to her and Arthur had to shush them.

“If you don’t mind.”

“Right. Sorry.” The sorcerer shrugged sheepishly and Arthur raised an eyebrow.

“Bandanas,” the prince cued. The four of them quickly put them on so that they covered the lower half of their faces. Arthur looked at Merlin who checked in front of them one more time.

“About thirty, no lookouts, ten horses. Most of them are just lazing about around some fire pits.” 

The prince nodded and quickly went over the plan again before they all moved off to their various positions. It was during this time that they all seemed to realize how insane it was to fight thirty bandits with four people.

Too late now, Morgana thought as she took up position on the far side of the camp. She spotted Merlin across the way and he nodded at her. She nodded back. Now was the time. 

“Forbaernan,” she whispered. Flames suddenly sprung up on one of the robbers shirts. He yelped and jumped to his feet. The others laughed as he hopped around, furiously trying to put it out. Slowly, smoke began to rise from the fire pits and wreath the ground, making it hard to see. Some of them started to catch on and looked around in suspicion. A couple started to reach for their swords. 

Then suddenly, thwock! A stone hit one on the head, promptly knocking him out. Then another, and another, and another. Morgana had to smirk. Merlin was more clever than he was given credit for. 

She quickly joined in, but it didn’t take long for the remainder to catch on and shield themselves with something. While they were distracted by the stones raining around them, Gwen and Arthur were easily able to sneak up behind them and place a sword to their throats. 

“Drop your weapons.” 

Suffice to say it didn’t take long for them to comply. Merlin had knocked out their leader very first, so magic was no problem, and before long the entire company was trussed up and just needed someone to cart them to the capitol. 

“That was… surprisingly easy,” Gwen commented. The others had to agree.

“I’ll go alert the militia,” Arthur said.

::::::::::::::

Before they knew it, the four of them were back in Camelot and back in their normal routine. About a day later, the man who had come asking for help, showed back up with nearly thirty prisoners in tow. Uther was surprised to say the least, but gladly took them off his hands. 

Arthur and Morgana began keeping an ear out for any word of trouble from the visiting nobles. Arthur made sure to actually pay attention in council meetings and hearings in case there was someone that needed help.

Merlin and Gwen did the same among the servants. Within the next month, they had rescued three kidnapped children from slave traders, stopped another group of bandits, and found someone’s stolen cow. Perhaps not the most “important” missions, but important to those they helped.

::::::::::::::::

It was late one night and Merlin was having a hard time sleeping. Each time he started to drift off he heard Merlin…

Finally, knowing that Kilgarrah would not shut up until he went and visited him, Merlin got up and snuck down to the fields where the dragon was already waiting.  
“Just what do you think you’re doing young warlock?” the dragon accused.

“I’m sorry, I don't know what you're talking about,” the servant sassed; he didn't need a dragon judging his life choices. Kilgarrah bent down close to him.

“You know exactly what I'm talking about. Consorting with the Sorceress Morgana. Using your magic so blatantly! Allowing Prince Arthur to know of your magic, of her magic! What if you get caught?”

“We aren't going to get caught.” Kilgarrah reared back and glared down at him.

“You say that now little one, but grave things are in your future. Great, but grave. If you continue down this path, there’s no telling how it will affect your destiny.”

“You’re right,” Merlin agreed. “There is no telling, but for once, I’m actually doing something about it. I’m making my destiny the way I want it.”

“Beware of pride,” Kilgarrah rumbled. “This is much bigger than you can imagine.”

Saying all he had needed to say, the dragon took off with a powerful flap of his wings, leaving the warlock alone in the cold night air.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big mission! Kilhgarrah gets involved! Telepathy! Enjoy!

The next day Merlin was still stewing about what Kilgarrah had said. He could barely pay attention in the council meeting until he heard the word magic.

“There’s been rumors of magic users in that area for a long time, but recently it appears to have escalated to practicing the Old Religion again,” one of the council men was reporting.

“That is very worrisome,” Uther agreed. “That area is so far away it’s no wonder we haven't done anything about it before. Arthur, I want you to take a party of knights and drive them out. It looks to be a two days’ journey there.”

“O-Of course Father. I’ll leave tomorrow.”

“Good. And that is the end of our meeting for today. Dismissed.” As everyone got up to leave, Merlin stepped back into the shadows to wait for Arthur who was having some words with his father. A couple minutes later, the two of them walked out together. 

“Are you really going to-?”

“For gods’ sake Merlin, of course not,” Arthur muttered. “Let’s find the others and figure something out.”

Merlin felt a little guilty at the rush of relief that filled him, (he honestly should have more faith in Arthur), but still. They managed to find the other two walking around the castle courtyard. Arthur fell in step with Morgana and Gwen and Merlin trailed a step behind. 

“We have a problem.”

Arthur quickly explained what his father wanted him to do and the more he talked, the darker Morgana’s scowl became. 

“And you’re not going to-”

“Of course not. The way I see it, we need two things: a way for me to not have to lead this expedition, and a way to get there ahead of the knights.”

“Can’t you just fain being ill?” Gwen asked. “I’m certain these two could cook up something to make it look realistic even.”

“That could work…”

“And as for needing transportation,” Merlin said. “I think I’ve got us covered.”

:::::::::::::::::::::::

“No. Way.”

“Trust me, I have the same sentiments as you My King.”

The four of them had agreed to meet that night to finalize plans before Arthur would have to pretend to be sick, but Merlin had immediately dragged them down to the fields outside the village to show them something.

They were not expecting a dragon. 

“Arthur, Gwen, Morgana, meet Kilgarrah, the last dragon. Kilgarrah, meet Arthur, Gwen, and Morgana.” Kilgarrah hmmmed deeply as he glared down in them. 

“Young Warlock, you know this will simply not do. You know how I feel about your certain… escapades, and I refuse to be involved in them. Meddle with fate all you like, but I will not get involved.”

“Excuse me,” Arthur said. “But aren’t you supposed to be dead?”

“Hm, yes, well, your little knights did their best, but it takes more than you getting knocked unconscious with a sword in your hand to kill me.” 

“Merlin-”

“I’m a Dragon Lord,” Merlin replied, cutting him off. “The power is passed down from father to son. So when Balinor died…”

“He was-?”

Merlin nodded. 

“And so during the fight-”

“You were knocked unconscious and I ordered Kilgarrah to leave and never harm the people of Camelot again.”

“An order which I have kept thus far,” Kilgarrah added, then glared down at Morgana. “Though at times I wish it were not so.” Her brow puckered in concern and confusion, but before she could say anything, Arthur spoke up.

“So can’t you order him to take us?” Kilgarrah looked offended, but Merlin replied,

“Technically yes, but I’d rather not.” He turned to the dragon. “I’d really rather not. Please.”

A staring contest between the warlock and dragon ensued before the dragon finally bowed his head.

“I will assist you this one time. And I advise you to be punctual.” Without another word, he took off, buffeting the others as he flew away.

::::::::::::::::::::::::

Their plan somehow worked. Arthur got Leon to lead the soldiers in his place while he was confined to bed. Of course once Gaius got wind of this, he insisted on checking on the king. One glance and a raised eyebrow later Gaius exited the room saying, “Whatever you’re up to, don’t involve me. If anyone asks after Arthur, I’ll tell them he’s too sick to be seen. And for gods’ sake be careful.” To Merlin, that was as good as if he had given them his blessing. 

That night, the four of them snuck out of the castle and through the lower town, bandanas securely in place. Kilgarrah wasn’t there when they got to the field and the others looked accusingly at Merlin.

“He’ll be here,” he assured them. “And if he doesn’t show, I can always call him.”

“Do we have everything?” Arthur asked, for what felt like the billionth time.

“Yes,” the others chorused. Their plan was simple: arrive at daybreak, evacuate the town, stick around long enough to make sure the knights didn’t find anyone, then return before anyone became suspicious. Arthur was out sick, Morgana had informed her maids that her headaches were acting up and that Gwen would look after her until she was well, and no one except Gaius would miss Merlin, so they should be covered.

“I had an idea the other night,” Morgana said. The others turned to look at her. She turned to Merlin. “You remember when we rescued Mordred and he spoke in our minds?” Merlin nodded. “I thought, what if we did the same thing? If we could link all four of our minds, we wouldn’t have to worry about speaking during battles and letting our names slip.”

“So we would be able to speak to each other in our minds?” Gwen asked. Morgana nodded. “Merlin?” Her friend was quiet as he considered it.

“If you guys are okay with it, I think it’s a good idea.” No one objected. “Any questions?” 

“So will we be able to hear each other’s thoughts all the time?” Arthur asked. 

“No, we’d only hear what we directly think to each other. The link will be open all the time, in case we need it, but we won’t hear each other’s personal thoughts. At least, that’s how it worked last time,” Morgana stated. Merlin nodded in affirmation. Arthur and Gwen exchanged a glance. 

“I’m willing to try it,” Gwen said.

“Me too.”

The two sorcerers nodded. They exchanged a meaningful look and Morgana smiled. Arthur made eye contact with Merlin and a little thrill zipped down his spine.

_“Arthur?” ___

__His eyes widened in surprise, but he managed to reply, _“I hear you.” _  
_“Morgana?” _  
_“Here.” _  
_“I hear you,” _Gwen added. Merlin grinned.  
“And there we have it. And right on time too.” They all turned to look as Kilgarrah landed a couple paces away and sized them all up with a mildly reproachable expression._________ _

__________“Well what are you staring at? Let’s get this over with.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________::::::::::::::::::_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Nothing beat a dragon ride at dawn. Or, at least, none of them could think of anything at that moment. The clouds flew by, obscuring their view with a sea of white, but as the sun rose, it slowly tinged them pink. Suddenly, they were out of the clouds and the entirety of the countryside spread out below them, brightly lit and barely waking._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It’s… beautiful,” Arthur whispered with surprising sincerity._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Kilgarrah spiraled to the ground, landing in a fallow field about a hundred meters from the village._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Thank you Kilgarrah,” Merlin said, resting a hand on the dragon’s snout. He hummed, deep in his throat, then moved to leave._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Good luck… Merlin.” With a powerful downflap, he was gone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The four moved with purpose towards the village, skimming through the fields, exchanging some thoughts as they went._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Are we evacuating the entire village?” Morgana asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It’ll be safer if we do,” Merlin replied._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Where are we going to take them?” Gwen asked. They paused as they realized literally all that surrounded them were fields. In the distance were a set of hills that looked like a feasible spot, but-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“We’ll think of something. The first thing we’ve got to do is convince them to trust us,” Arthur said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I think I have an idea,” Merlin answered as they arrived at the edge of the village. Only a couple of people were up and about yet, but as they watched, the town slowly came to life and more and more people began to notice the strange group of fairly-finely dressed people wearing mysterious bandanas, two of which have weapons, and a crowd began to gather around them. Arthur gently shoved Merlin closer to the center. He gave him a quick glare, then turned back to the crowd. He looked around, making eye contact with a couple of people, before cupping his hands and muttering something into them. He opened them, and out flew a group of butterflies, differing in color and size. Morgana could see Merlin’s eyes crinkling in the telltale sign of a smile. Some of the onlookers gasped, in shock or wonder, and some started to applaud. Merlin did a couple more tricks: making flowers appear and giving them to someone, a small display of fireworks, and the like. By then, the whole town was there. Finally, Merlin stepped aside and gestured for Arthur to come forward._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Tell them why we’re here.” Merlin gave a supportive nod and Arthur cleared his throat and began._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Thank you all. You’re a great audience, but I’m afraid our purpose in being here is a bit more serious._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“We’ve come directly from Camelot with news that a battalion of knights is on their way to arrest or kill any magic users in this town.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________There were gasps and murmurs of fear all around._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“We came to warn you and to help evacuate the town if you’ll let us. Two of us are magic users ourselves,” Morgana gave a small wave. “And we have no desire to see harm fall upon you. Will you let us help?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“How can we trust what you say is true?” someone cried._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Do any of you have the power of foresight?” Merlin asked. No one responded for a moment, but then a small girl, maybe in her early teens raised her hands._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I can look pretty far,” she said. Merlin nodded and went to her side. He gently grabbed her shoulders and pointed her in the right direction._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“About a day’s march from here. Can you see them?” Her eyes glowed a bright gold for sometime before her breath hitched and she was back with them.  
“They’re right. I saw them. At least ten knights, all on horses.” _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The people started to panic, voices growing louder and everyone getting more agitated, until Gwen, of all people, gave a piercing whistle, silencing the crowd._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“We need to evacuate the town,” she stated. “Just until they come, look, and leave. You know the land better than any of us. Where would be a good place to hide?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“There are the hills,” a farmer suggested._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Not everyone could make it in a day,” refuted a mother, holding her baby. An older woman standing next to her nodded._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Plus, of all the places around here, they do seem pretty obvious,” someone else said. The others nodded. Morgana stepped forward._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“How many magic users are there? Who’s the strongest? I have an idea.” Fifteen people stepped forward and a man about fifty spoke up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’ve been practicing the longest. My niece and nephew are also quite strong,” he said, gesturing to the girl who had seen the knights and a boy who looked like her. “Mildred has also been studying for quite some time and the others can hold their own as well. What did you have in mind?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What if we cast a giant shielding spell? One giant illusion, a ways outside the town that we could all hide behind until they left.” The man’s eyes widened._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“That’s insane!” he spluttered. “The focus a-and energy required for it would be enormous!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“And yet,” Merlin said. “I think we can make it work.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for all your support guys!!! Finals are over so expect updates more frequently!

Arthur signaled to Morgana. The knights had appeared over the rise. The townspeople had gathered up their stuff and set up camp about a mile and half from the town in one of the fallow fields the other day and were now hunkered down, holding their breath.

“Ready?” she asked. Merlin nodded. 

They and five of the other magic users simultaneously raised their hands while Merlin chanted a spell and an illusion sprung to life. 

“I hope this works,” Arthur muttered.

“It will,” Gwen reassured him. 

They watched as the troop of knights approached the village, hesitating just outside of it. Obviously they had expected people to approach them or at least cause some sort of disturbance, but so far there was nothing. 

Arthur watched with bated breath as they entered the town and moved out of sight. They could faintly hear doors being slammed open and closed along with the occasional shout or crash. He cringed along with Gwen. He hoped they didn’t completely ransack it. 

After what seemed like forever, the knights exited the town to a spot closer to the woods and set up camp. Dusk came on fast and darkness enveloped the countryside, leaving only the glow of their fires to indicate where they were. 

“Time to switch,” Morgana warned. Merlin nodded and braced himself. Carefully, the others lowered their hands and the next group took their places. Merlin’s arms were shaking, but he managed.

“How you holding up?” Arthur asked. 

“Fine,” he gritted. “I should be able to hold it til they leave.”

“Can’t you take a break?” Arthur asked. Merlin shook his head.

“I cast it. I have to hold it, or the whole thing comes falling down.”

“Well, let us know if we can get you anything.” Merlin nodded and returned to concentrating. 

This was going to be a long night.

:::::::::::::::::

Somehow, they made it through the night. Miraculously, the children of the village had slept quietly and those on watch had nothing to report. The dawn broke bright and early and the magic users switched out again. Merlin’s knees nearly buckled as he had to hold the whole weight of the spell for a moment, but straightened up as it eased. 

“There’s movement from the camp,” Arthur observed quietly. Sure enough, the knights were starting to wake. Arthur watched anxiously as they went and checked the town again, but returned to the campsite, finding nothing. He let out a sigh of relief. 

Until a child started crying behind him.

He whirled around to find a crying three year old on the ground with an annoyed five year old standing over her.

“She started it!” he cried.

His parents quickly shushed him and the girl, but the damage was done. The knights had heard and were coming to investigate.

“Everyone lie low,” Gwen commanded. “We’ll handle this.”

She and Arthur stepped up to the barrier, still shielded by it, but ready to step through at a moment's notice. Leon was in the lead, shortly followed by Gwaine and Percival and then some of the other knights. Evidently, the illusion was doing it’s job, because they showed no sign of slowing down as they approached.

Suddenly, Morgana let go of the illusion and whispered a muted spell, directed back at the knights camp and something exploded over there. The knights turned with hurried shouts and Leon told them to go back, but he stayed.

“Something’s not right,” he muttered and extended a hand towards the illusion. 

_That’s close enough _, Arthur decided. Arthur stepped through the barrier to meet Leon toe to toe, and, as a testament to their reflexes and training, met sword to sword as well. They held each other’s gaze for a moment before Leon spoke.__

__“Who are you?”_ _

__“That doesn’t matter.”_ _

__“Are you a sorcerer?”_ _

__“No. Listen, what matters right now is that you and your party leave. The people of this town mean you no harm and will continue to do so as you leave them in peace.”_ _

__“We heard there were magic users here,” he said after a moment._ _

__“Does it matter if there are? If they’ve lived in peace and done nothing to harm Camelot?”_ _

__Leon didn’t reply, but after a moment, he stepped back and sheathed his sword. After a moment of hesitation, he gave a quick nod and headed back towards the camp._ _

__Arthur stepped back behind the barrier and sheathed his own sword._ _

___“Do you think he recognized you?” _Gwen asked.___ _

_____“I don’t know. Merlin, how are you doing?” _____ _ _

_______“Just peachy,” _he replied shortly.___ _ _ _ _ _

________It seemed like it took forever for Leon to reach the knights, for them to pack up, and then leave._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________“Are they gone yet?” _Merlin asked, bordering on desperation.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________“Hang on,” _Gwen replied. She quickly approached the girl who could use farsight and asked her to see if the knights were gone. She confirmed they were.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“They’re gone Merlin. We’re safe.” The words had scarcely left her mouth when Merlin simply collapsed. His arms fell to his sides, his knees buckled, and he was out. Arthur was at his side in an instant along with Morgana while Gwen had the presence of mind to go get a healer. They returned quickly and the healer shooed them away while she checked Merlin over._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“He’s fine,” she concluded. “He just over-exerted himself- not surprisingly, I might add. He just needs to rest. A proper meal and a good sleep and he’ll be right as rain.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Thank you,” Arthur said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I believe it’s us who should be thanking you. You four are more like knights than that band was.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“They’re doing what they think is right,” Arthur defended reluctantly. “Just like we are. And hopefully some day, we can agree.” The healer simply hummed in response._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________The rest of the day was spent helping the villagers back to their home and cleaning up whatever mess the knights had made. The three of them took turns checking on Merlin throughout the day and by the time night rolled around, he still hadn’t woken up. Finally, Gwen voiced what they were all thinking._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“If Merlin doesn’t wake up soon, how are we going to get home?” The healer, named Claire, had been gracious enough to let them stay in her home until they left. Merlin lay in the corner near the fire under a blanket, looking more at peace than he had in a long time, while the others huddled in front of the fire, attempting to figure out a plan._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“If he doesn’t wake up tomorrow morning, I say we start walking back,” Arthur said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“And how are we supposed to do that with Merlin like he is?” Morgana demanded._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I’ve seen you levitate things before.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________There was a pause and then laughter. It was an absurd image after all, and the sudden levity did wonders for the mood of the room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“You hear that Merlin?” Arthur called, nudging his friend. “If you don’t wake up, we’re gonna carry you back- and knock your head into every branch we can on the way!” His eyes widened as Merlin actually groaned in response._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Don’t you dare,” he murmured and rolled over, fast asleep once again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Well I don’t know about you two,” Morgana said. “But I’m going to follow Merlin’s example. Good night.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Gwen and Arthur stayed in front of the fire for a little while longer, leaning into each other ever so slightly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Good job out there,” Arthur said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Thanks. You too. That was brave standing up to Leon.” Arthur hummed, deep in his throat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I just hope he didn’t recognize me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	8. Chapter 8

Gwen was the first one up the next morning. The sun had yet to rise and she doubted that anyone in the town would be up yet. She stretched and gently shook the others awake. It took both her and Arthur to prod Merlin awake, but he seemed in much better shape than the day before.

“Let’s move out,” Arthur said once they were all up. They had let the healer know they’d probably be gone when she woke up, so they didn’t have to worry about that. The others made for the door, but Merlin paused at the kitchen table. Gwen spotted a gleam of gold in his eyes and, magically, there was now a small pile of ripe strawberries on the table. He gave her a smile when he noticed her watching, then they joined the rest outside. 

The four of them left the town in silence and trekked through the fields towards the woods. They paused on the edge and Merlin called Kilgarrah. A couple minutes passed and the dragon appeared on the horizon, landing lightly in front of them.

“I see you were successful,” he mused. “Though I wonder what the knight’s had to say to seeing four mysterious vigilantes.”

“Simple,” Merlin replied. “They didn't see us. Mostly.” He hopped on without waiting for a response, and though Kilgarrah grumbled, he didn't pursue the matter.  
The sun had barely shown its head when they landed in the fields outside of Camelot.

“Thank you Kilgarrah,” Arthur said, with a slight bow. The dragon didn't reply, but dipped his head with a small smirk on his face and flew off.

Nerves were on edge as they hurried back to the castle, barely avoiding guards and just waking townspeople, but somehow they made it. Arthur and Merlin waved goodbye to the girls as the two hurried to Morgana’s room and they entered Arthur’s.

“Now the knights should be back either tonight or tomorrow morning. I want both of us there for the briefing, but until then you’re dismissed. Get some more rest. You did good work.” 

Merlin blinked at the unlikely praise.

“Thanks. Same to you sire.” Arthur gave him a small smile as Merlin left and finished getting dressed. After all, he’d been “sick” for two straight days. It was about time he made an appearance.

::::::::::::::::

“Welcome back,” Uther greeted as Leon and two of the other knights took their spots at the table. “I trust you were successful?”

“More or less sire,” Leon said, a bit hesitantly. The king and councillors listened with rapt attention as Leon described arriving at the town to find it deserted. 

“We’ve no idea where they’ve gone or if they will return, but we found no evidence of magic being practiced in the town,” he concluded, eyes flickering briefly to Arthur, then returning to the king.

“Hm. That is most worrisome. We’ll have to send another patrol at some point.” The council briefly discussed some other matters, but were dismissed before long. Arthur and Merlin made their way out into the courtyard hoping to run into the girls, but before they could, Leon caught up to them.

“Arthur. Can I speak with you for a moment?” The prince and the servant exchanged a glance and Merlin left with a nod.

“What is it?”

The knight and prince headed towards the training grounds as they talked.

“I wanted to discuss something with you before I brought it to the attention of the king. We were investigating around the town and heard what sounded like a child. When I got closer though a- a man appeared out of nowhere and challenged me. He said the people of the town meant no harm and I believed him. Not only that, but I feel like I knew him.” He stopped and looked Arthur in the eye. “What do you think sire?”

Arthur paused before he responded. He knew Leon well enough to know he wouldn’t ask if it was him outright and Arthur definitely wasn’t about to reveal what they had been doing.

“I trust you and think you’re wise to trust your intuition.”

“I-right… Thank you sire.”

:::::::::::::::

Merlin went in search of Gwen, deciding to head to the lower town, and hoped that Arthur would be able to deal with whatever Leon was asking him. As he headed for the gate, he nearly collided with a harried looking villager coming the other way. The man tripped in the process of avoiding him and crashed to the ground.

“Whoa! Slow down there friend. What’s the matter?” Merlin asked.

“Please. Can you direct me to the king? I’ve come a long ways with an urgent matter.”

“O-Of course. What kind of matter?” Merlin asked, guiding him towards the castle.

“My village is under attack by some sort of beast from the mountains. It’s not… natural.” The poor man looked haunted, cheeks and eyes sunk in with a couple days stubble on his face. 

“What’s your name?” Merlin asked.

“Henry.”

“Henry. Nice to meet you. I’m Merlin. I’m the prince’s personal manservant. Let me take you to him first. He’ll be able to help a lot quicker than the king will.”

“I don’t know,” Henry said. “A-are you sure? Would he even hear me out?”

“Definitely. Come on.”

Henry followed Merlin and the sorcerer quickly contacted the others.

“Arthur. I need to see you in your study. I met a man who wants to talk to you about our next mission.”

“On my way.”

::::::::::::::::::::::::

Merlin knocked on the door and gave Henry a reassuring smile.

“Come in.”

Merlin held the door for Henry who shuffled in nervously. 

“Sire. This is Henry. He’s come from a village up north with a problem.” Merlin gestured for Henry to take the floor. He stepped forward nervously and gave Arthur a small bow. 

“Thank you for seeing me my lord. You see, a couple weeks ago, some of our livestock started disappearing. We thought it might be wolves, but then someone actually saw it. It’s… not natural sire. It’s some big beast, with wings and terrible claws. We’ve tried to get rid of it ourselves, but regular weapons don’t do any damage. We’ve lost some good men.”

“I see.” Arthur asked him a couple more questions: rough locations, size, and so forth, all very politely, trying to set the man at ease. 

“Here’s what I would propose,” the prince said. “I have some friends who work… behind the scenes. They’ve had experience dealing with magical creatures and will be able to help you with your problem. They’ll meet you outside the lower town at sundown if you agree.”

“Yes! Yes, that sounds wonderful. Thank you my lord.” Arthur smiled.

“Very well. Merlin, escort him out.”

Merlin gave a small bow and smile before leading the poor man out of the room where he promptly collapsed against the wall, not falling down, but leaning on it heavily.

“I didn’t think anyone would listen,” he murmured. He looked at Merlin. “Do you know about these friends he spoke of?”

“Yes. Believe me,” Merlin assured him. “They can handle it.”

:::::::::::::::::::

The griffin’s cry rent the air, high pitched and dangerous. Gwen rolled beneath it’s outstretched claws, barely avoided having her head taken off, and Arthur was was finally sitting up from where the creature had flung him into a tree. Morgana rallied to Merlin’s side where his hands were aflame with fireballs.

“We can't handle this!” she yelled.

Merlin grimaced at the unfortunate callback. 

“Gaius’ book said it can only be killed by magic. That leaves it up to you and me,” he told her.

“So what’s the plan?” she asked, taking a step back as it reared up. 

“Win?” 

Morgana rolled her eyes. Honestly. 

“Draw it over that way away from the others. I have an idea.” 

Merlin nodded and chucked a fireball at the monster, causing it to screech in pain and annoyance. It crouched down and stalked toward Merlin while she quietly made her way behind it. 

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She hadn’t tried a spell like this before, but she had an idea how to do it. The sorceress reached out, finding the pulse of magic that radiated off the griffin and slowly fed her own magic into it. The pulse grew brighter and stronger, almost searing in intensity. Faintly, she heard the griffin squack in confusion and pain, but kept at it when suddenly-

_FWOOM! ___

__Morgana was flung back by the explosion, the ashes of the griffin raining down. Her breathing was heavy and her arms shook as she pushed herself up. Merlin was looking at her in what might have been awe and a bit of fear. His expression morphed to concern as he ran to her side._ _

__“Are you okay?”_ _

__“Yeah, just… wow.” He grinned and helped her up._ _

__“That was impressive. Good job.”_ _

__“Thanks,” she breathed. Gwen was helping Arthur to his feet, who was rubbing the back of his head. Merlin met them halfway and placed a concerned hand over his friend’s. Arthur brushed him off._ _

__“I’ll be fine. Let’s get back to the village.”_ _

__The four of them trekked back through the woods, supporting each other as they nursed their wounds. The griffin’s lair had been located about halfway up the mountains near the village and the sun was quickly setting as they made their way down. They came to an outcrop that looked out over the valley and paused. From here they could see the entire valley, almost the entire kingdom. Camelot twinkled in the distance and the village rested below them against the mountain, glowing like the ember of a dying fire._ _

__“Pardon me.”_ _

__The four pseudo knights spun around. An old man, carrying a cane and sporting well-worn travelling clothes stood there. He smiled in amusement at their surprise._ _

__“Please, you can put your sword away,” he said, nodding at Arthur._ _

__“I’d rather not, if it’s all the same to you.” The man shrugged._ _

__“Very well. I saw your encounter with the griffin up there. Rumors had begun to spread about a group of do-gooders like yourselves, but I wasn’t sure I believed them.  
“I have a task for you,” he said. “Not far from here, in the next valley over, there is an ancient temple that holds a thing of great importance.” He met Merlin’s eyes. “A dragon egg.”_ _

__The others gasped mentally and began bombarding Merlin with questions._ _

___“Be quiet!” _he yelled, silencing the others. _“Let him finish.” ______ _

______“Why are you telling us?” Merlin asked him._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Many people have come to me over the years, searching for the egg, wanting to use it for evil or to destroy it. But when I heard there was another Dragonlord, and, now that I’ve seen what company you keep, I have hope that you can put it to good use, to unite Camelot, or at least take the first steps to do so.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Why should we trust you?” Arthur asked. The man shrugged helplessly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You have no reason to. But, then again, I have no reason to lie. I don’t know who you are beyond that you serve the people of this country and, when fate allows it, try to show mercy to the creatures you come in contact with.” He reached into his robe and pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment. “Here is a map to the temple, if you choose to pursue it.” Morgana took it from him. “I wish you luck, and maybe, we’ll meet again some day.” And with that, he turned and disappeared back into the forest. The four of them stood there for a moment, processing what had just happened. Arthur broke the silence by sheathing his sword and turning to look at them.  
“Whatever we decide to do, we need to report to Henry first. We can figure the rest out in the morning.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______The others nodded and began the hike back down the mountain._ _ _ _ _ _


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our motley crew meets a mysterious stranger. Dragons are involved.

The campfire crackled cheerily, warming the area and causing the four pseudo knights to relax after a hard days work. Henry had been thrilled that they had managed to destroy the griffin and had been surprised, but grateful, when they had refused payment. His wife had given them some food for the road and, once warmed up over their fire, it was delicious.

Arthur pulled out the mysterious map and spread it out. The others gathered around to get a closer look at it.

"Here's where the temple supposedly is and here's where we are. It's only a few kilometers it looks like," Arthur said.

"Through steep and treacherous territory though," Morgana pointed out. "We certainly wouldn't want to try it until after it's light."

"Agreed. If we want to attempt it at all." They all looked at Merlin, who was staring at the fire deep in thought.

"Kilgarrah was supposedly the last dragon. The fact that there's another, a viable egg, that's… unheard of."

It was quiet for a moment as the four of them mulled over what it would mean to have another dragon roaming the land. Merlin looked especially troubled, but finally sighed.

"I'm too tired to really consider this tonight. I'm going to bed."

"Sounds good," Arthur agreed. "We can decide in the morning."

The dawn seemed to arrive earlier than usual for the four vigilantes. Though to be completely honest, Merlin hadn't gotten the best night's sleep. He kept waking, swearing he could have heard Kilgarrah calling him, but he never was. Abandoning sleep, Merlin had gotten up early and prepared breakfast for the rest of their motley crew.

"We need to go get that dragon egg," he told them.

"Why the sudden change of enthusiasm?" Arthur asked. Merlin told them about thinking he heard Kilgarrah.

"But the more I think about it, the more I believe it's the other dragon."

"Trying to talk to you?" Gwen asked, somewhat incredulously. Merlin nodded.

"It deserves a chance at life like anyone else. I say we go for it."

They all turned to look at Arthur who looked deep in thought while chewing a biscuit. He swallowed, glanced at all of them, and then looked Merlin in the eye.

"And if it decides to go on a murderous rampage?" Morgana answered before Merlin could.

"Oh for gods' sake, it's a baby Arthur. It probably couldn't hurt a fly."

Arthur opened his mouth to reply, but unfortunately saw the mischievous look in Merlin's eye that let him know he had a new idea.

"Oh no, what are you thinking of now?"

Merlin giggled.

"Think about it. We get to raise a baby dragon."

After several close calls, including one in which the ancient temple crumbled around them, the troop of exhausted, dirty heroes clambered back down the mountain and started for home, now with the addition of a dragon egg.

It was about the size of a sack of flour and about the color of flour as well. Merlin was carrying it and cooing to it softly every now and then.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Gwen asked. "Can you tell?"

"A boy I think."

"So, when will it hatch?" Arthur asked. Merlin's brow furrowed.

"I'm not quite sure. But I think when I ask it to." Arthur looked tired and dubious.

"You can control when that creature hatches?"

"We can hear each other, it would make sense. And it just… feels right."

Arthur declined to respond and instead glanced up to check the position of the sun through the trees. His father was expecting him and Morgana for supper. They were making good time.

Morgana was the next one to speak.

"So when do we want it to hatch?"

That gave them pause. The four of them stopped in the middle of the forest road and considered the egg. It shimmered slightly and, although only two of them were magic users, each of them could sense the powerful life within.

"Where are we going to keep it?" Arthur asked, sounding for all the world like an exhausted father.

And suddenly, the moment was broken and the other three burst into laughter. What had they gotten themselves into? Even Arthur joined in after a moment at the sheer ludicrously of it all.

"I have an idea," Merlin said. "I don't want to try to smuggle a dragon egg into the castle, but there's an abandoned shack not too far into the forest. I'll stay there with the egg until you guys can sneak out again and we'll try hatching it. After that, Morgana and I can put up some shields and wards so it can stay there."

The others looked thoughtful. It wasn't a bad idea. They turned to Arthur for the final say.

"Alright. We'll do it tonight."

Merlin had fallen asleep while guarding the egg and dreamt of flying. Something prodded his shoulder and he groaned, but then it prodded harder and he finally opened his eyes.

"Rise and shine," Arthur grinned down at him. Merlin groaned and rolled over. This could not be happening.

"Let's have you lazy daisy," he laughed, nudging him in the ribs. Gwen and Morgana were stifling laughs of their own as they filed in the shack.

"You are enjoying this far too much," Merlin pointed out, finally sitting up and cradling the egg in his lap.

"Oh yeah," Arthur agreed. "Here's the spellbook you needed."

Merlin gratefully took the book. He and Morgana would need it to put up the defenses.

"Let's go outside." Merlin stood and the others followed into the clear night. A brisk breeze shook the leaves and sent them rustling, as if the forest itself were whispering, excited to see what was about to happen. A few lone clouds scudded across the sky, dappling the fields outside of Camelot. It was barely a half moon, giving them enough light to see by, though on a night like tonight, the stars added quite a bit of illumination. Almost instinctively, the four of them took a moment to appreciate the night sky. Gwen gave a deep, contented sigh and Arthur glanced over at her. She was beautiful in the moonlight.

His thoughts were interrupted as Merlin approached Morgana.

"Would you hold it while I call it?" Her eyes widened.

"Me? Are you sure?"

"Positive." Merlin smiled, a little something more than a smile, and handed it to her. Her precise hands took it and marveled at the fact that there was a living dragon in there.

"I wonder what it'll look like," Gwen said.

"One way to find out," Merlin replied. "Ai-"

"JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING."

The grass in the field rippled violently as Kilgarrah landed less than a stone throw away from the four psuedo-knights.

"Do you realize what that is?" he snarled.

"A dragon egg," Merlin replied steadily. Kilgarrah huffed and shuffled his feet, looking quite distressed before taking a breath and settling down.

"Do you have any idea what a dragon hatching _means?_ " When he received no response, he sighed. "Very well. No dragon hatching is without meaning, young warlock. Each indicates the dawn of a new era. All I can say is that, I hope, what with your sudden endeavors," he said, peering at the others, "that it will usher in one of... peace." He didn't say anymore after that and appeared to turn the matter back over to Merlin. The young warlock glanced at his friends.

"Are we ready?" They nodded. He took a deep breath and with a powerful and confident voice said, _"Aithusa, rachsha manitolg!"_

They watched, the magic palpable in the air, as, after a moment, the egg began to crack. A white talon emerged and began picking off the rest of the shell, until a small snout could stick through, and then a head, and then finally, burst through the top of the egg all together. It and Morgana stared at each other, absolutely enchanted with one another.

"It's beautiful," Gwen breathed. It tried to hiss, but ended up sneezing. It turned to Merlin and let out a little trill.

"Well done, Merlin," Kilgarrah breathed. "A white dragon is a rare and beautiful thing. And fitting the name you chose for it. Aithusa means, light of the sun. It bodes well for Albion, for you and for Arthur, for the kingdom you will build together." He bowed once to Merlin, once to Arthur, and then, surprisingly, to the girls as well. And with a mighty pump of his wings, he was gone.

Merlin watched him go, and when he turned back, Gwen and Morgana were cooing over the hatchling while Arthur approached it more cautiously.

"Oh come on Arthur," Morgana teased. "He won't bite."

Arthur rolled his eyes, but gently extended his fingers towards the newborn dragon, who sniffed them curiously, before trying to nip them. Merlin couldn't help but laugh.

_Light of the sun, he thought. Perhaps a new day is dawning._


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our motley crew is having a good time raising a young dragon and are off to stop a bunch of child slavers!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

_Thwip!_

Merlin winced at the sound of the arrow striking home while Arthur grinned and went to go fetch the downed pheasant.

"Don't be such a _girl_ , Merlin. It's a dragon. It's got to eat meat."

"I know that," Merlin huffed. Arthur scoffed and punched Merlin's arm.

"Come on. Let's get back to the girls."

They trekked back through the underbrush to the hidden shack and accompanying clearing. Merlin and Morgana had put up shields that prevented anyone but them from getting too close, while leaving enough space for Aithusa to roam around. Morgana was reflecting a sunbeam off her dagger causing a bright little ball of light to bounce around the clearing for Aithusa to enthusiastically chase. The young dragon paused as he heard Merlin and Arthur approaching and, crouching very much like a cat, wiggled his butt and pounced on Arthur as soon as they emerged.

"Agh!" He stumbled back, but didn't even have time to react, because as soon as Aithusa spotted the pheasant, he snatched it from Arthur's hand and hopped off.

"What did I tell you about jumping on me like that?" Arthur scolded as the others laughed. Aithusa grunted, but looked up from the pheasant.

"To not…"

"So why did you just now?"

"Because it's fun!"

Arthur groaned, but let it go. He was just as smitten with the young dragon as the rest of them and couldn't stay mad at him for long.

It had been a month since Aithusa had hatched and he had grown a lot in that time. At least one of them checked on him daily and, when they could manage it, all four of them would go and stay for a while. All of them had been surprised when, after only two weeks, he had said Merlin's name. His language skills had only grown since then, though he and Merlin occasionally conversed in the Dragonlord's language. He had started out about the size of a cat and now was about the size of a wolf.

"Are we all set for tonight?" Gwen asked. Arthur nodded. Tonight they were planning on heading towards the coast to take down a group of child slavers.

"Ooh! Can I come?" Aithusa asked. The four humans exchanged surprised glances. They all knew that Aithusa would come with them eventually, but they had just kind of figured… he would be bigger. And they certainly hadn't expected him to ask.

"Aithusa, you know this isn't a game," Arthur said. The dragon nodded.

"I know. I want to help take down bad guys. If they're hurting someone, I want to help."

They exchanged another glance; so the dragon had been paying really good attention to their conversations.

"I don't think it's the worst idea," Merlin offered.

"He's going to come with us at some point," Gwen agreed. "This could be a good start."

"But-" Morgana protested. "He's so… small."

"He's a dragon," Arthur rebutted.

"But-"

"I can do this _Mom,_ " Aithusa said. "Just give me a chance," he said, trying hard to not wag his tail outright. Like Arthur had said, he was a dragon, not a dog.

"Fine," Morgana acquiesced. "But you stick with one of us the whole time, alright?"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" the dragon cried, unable to contain his excitement anymore and nearly pushed Morgana over in what counted as a dragon hug.

The others laughed and Merlin and Arthur joined them on the forest floor to discuss plans for that night. With it being Aithusa's first, it promised to be a memorable one.

::::::::::::::::::::

 _"Do you see them?"_ Arthur asked.

 _"Yes,"_ Merlin replied. _"Three guards. Seven kids. They're talking to their boss now."_

_"Can you hear what they're saying?"_

_"Hang on."_ There was the briefest flash of gold in the shadows of the wharf and suddenly they could all hear the conversation playing out by the dock.

"This is it?" the presumed boss said. Two of the guards shuffled nervously; the other looked like he didn't care.

"We did the best we could boss. Any more and someone woulda noticed."

"A couple of them are magic users boss. Druid-folk."

"Which ones?"

One of the guards shoved two almost teenagers to the front. A couple of kids shied away while others shuffled towards them for support and protection.

"Hm. Fine. Get 'em on board. Separate them two. Let's go, we don't have all night."

The boss strutted away and the guards started prodding the kids towards one of the ships.

_"Alright. Aithusa? Merlin?"_

_"We're following him now."_

_"Good. Morgana?"_

_"I'm ready to slip on the ship as soon as you make your move."_

_"Excellent. Gwen?"_

_"Ready when you are."_

_"Let's go."_  
:::::::::::::::::::::

Jackson was really getting fed up with this. The kids were getting antsy as they approached the dark hull of the ship. He couldn't blame them; once on the ship, they would probably never see their families again.

Suddenly there was a muffled grunt and the sound of someone falling to the ground, quickly followed by startled yells from the kids. Reacting on instinct, Jackson drew his sword and turned around just in time to meet blade to blade with- a woman? Dark brown curls and a bandana over the lower half of her face didn't give him much to go off.

"What th-" He barely reacted in time as she shifted and went for a downward cut; she knew what she was doing. From the corner of his eye he spotted Gerard dead on the ground and Thomas fighting off another attacker. The kids had scurried out of the way, but one of the young ones tripped and, thinking fast, he pushed the woman away and grabbed the young girl by the hair, putting the sword to her neck.

"Drop your weapons!" he yelled. "Drop 'em now or I'll kill her."

Very carefully, the dark haired woman set her sword on the ground and the man followed suit.

"Good. Now, get down on your knees a-", he paused to yawn. Why was he so tired all of a sudden? "And… an…." The sword dropped from his hand and he was asleep before he hit the ground, along with the other guard.

Underneath his bandana, Arthur smiled. He glanced up at the young boy whose eyes slowly faded from gold back to black.

"Good work," Arthur said. The boy couldn't help the shy grin that came to his face.

"Thanks. Who are you?" The children who had started to scatter regrouped around their two mysterious saviors.

"Are you guys knights?" one of them asked.

"They can't be knights! Knights don't like magic!"

"No, you guys are like vi-vigilantes," said the oldest girl, the other magic user, sounding the word out carefully.

"Something like that," Arthur agreed. "Are there more kids on the ship, do you know?" She nodded.

"I saw them take in another group before us-"

_KA-BOOM!_

Everyone screamed as an explosion came from a few blocks away.

_"Merlin!"_

_"Sorry! Sorry! We're coming now."_

_"Wh- no- Merlin-"_

But it was too late. Aithusa appeared over the rooftops carrying Merlin causing the children to shriek in fear and surprise, even more so as he dumped Merlin on the ground and landed next to Arthur. Merlin was laughing and smoking slightly as he pulled himself to his feet.

"Excellent job Aithusa."

"I doubt Mom will see it like that," the dragon muttered.

All the kids were thoroughly freaked out now and were huddled together, wide eyed and scared. Arthur kept glancing worriedly at the ship; Morgana should have come out or at least checked in by now. He clapped Merlin on the shoulder.

"Well since you caused this stir, you deal with it while Gw- we go find M- y'know," he said, barely remembering not to use their real names.

"Of course." He plopped himself down on the ground and beckoned to the kids. "What? You've never seen a real life dragon before? He won't hurt you. Watch this." With a whispered word, Merlin conjured a glowing butterfly. Quite a few of the kids gasped; not only did these vigilantes not hate magic, they were magic users!

The butterfly flitted closer to Aithusa whose tail twitched.

"I won't fall for it," he declared. Two of the kids couldn't help but yelp as Aithusa spoke. If a dragon could have smirked, he would have.

"Sure you won't," Merlin replied. A second later, Aithusa carefully batted at the butterfly which flitted just out of reach. He tried again and before long was actively chasing it, causing the kids to laugh.

Gwen glanced back to check on Merlin and smiled at the sight, right before she and Arthur ducked into the dark and somber hull of the ship.

It smelled terrible, not that she expected any different.

_"Morgana? Are you there?"_

_"Yeah. In a bit of a pickle!"_

Gwen and Arthur exchanged a quick glance and hurried on. They rounded a corner and there was Morgana, arms outstretched, one to each side, holding up two shielding spells against some twenty odd sailors and soldiers.

Arthur reacted first, quickly cutting down three soldiers before they had the mind to react. It was close quarters, but Gwen joined too, cutting down about five more before the others got the good idea in their minds to run. Morgana dropped the shields and sent two quick blasts of magic at the other opposing crewmembers. Gwen and Arthur charged and it didn't take long for them to follow their fellow crew members' lead and run.

"Thanks," Morgana breathed.

"No problem," Arthur replied. "Did you find the kids?"

"Yeah, but I didn't have time to get them out before…"

"Of course. Here, I swiped some keys from the guards outside. We'll help."

They set to, unlocking or breaking down whatever doors they could and ushering thirty or so kids outside.

"Did I hear an explosion?" Morgana asked.

"That would be Merlin and Aithusa," Gwen answered.

Finally after double checking the ship, they ran towards the exit.

_"Merlin, as soon as we're out, you're good to light this place up."_

_"With pleasure."_

The group of kids were gathered around Merlin and Aithusa, all of them trying to pet or, at least, get a good look at the dragon. Merlin said something to Aithusa and then gestured for the children to move back. With a pump of his wings, Aithusa took to the air and circled over the ship once before letting loose with a jet of fire. The kids cried out in wonder and soon the ship was left to sink.

"Good work everyone," Arthur said as they rejoined the group. "Now let's get these ones home. Merlin, what did you two do with the leader?"

"Oh don't worry. He's just a bit tied up at the moment."

::::::::::::::::::

It was nearly three in the morning before they got all the kids home and by that time a good chunk of the town was awake to see what on earth was going on.

"I guess we could have been more subtle," Arthur said on the way back.

"What tipped you off? The explosion, the dragon, or burning the ship?" Morgana sassed back.

"Speaking of which," Gwen said. The three turned to look at Merlin and Aithusa who were ambling happily along side by side.

"Oh that," Merlin said. "Turns out this bloke has magic too. And some, um, pyromaniacal tendencies."

"It was so cool!" Aithusa cried, hopping up and down. "Merlin made the ground all icy so he slipped and then we landed behind him and Merlin was all ready to tie him up, but then he, like, clapped his hands and everything exploded! I jumped in front of Merlin and he cast a shielding spell around the three of us and then tied the guy up and I got to knock him out." Everyone was smirking amusedly at their newest members enthusiasm.

"Well done Aithusa," Gwen said fondly.

"So how do we want to do this?" Merlin asked, glancing back at the trussed up (and knocked out) slaver.

"I figured two of us could drop him off at the guard's barracks. Leon is on duty and you know he'll take it seriously."

"Aren't you a bit worried about Leon recognizing you?" Morgana asked.

"... would it be so terrible if he did?"

They were quiet after that as they dropped Aithusa back at the clearing and then proceeded back into Camelot. Merlin and Gwen dropped the man by the barracks and watched as a surprised and wary looking Leon found the man and promptly escorted him to the dungeon. Though none of them had said it, they were interested to see how the man's trial would go; they had never brought in someone this high profile. Or a magic user. Or someone who had actually really seen them.

It wasn't much surprise that none of them really slept that night.


End file.
